Wabanaki Tribes Receive Dept. of Interior Grant

WASHINGTON, June 10 — The U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service announced that it intends to award a $145,000 cooperative agreement to the Wabanaki Tribes of Maine for community history and archeology projects at the Isle au Haut.

The agency description of the grant states: “Specifically, the recipient will:
1) Conduct research on traditional uses of Isle au Haut by Wabanaki, including oral histories, placenames, and material culture collections, at Isle au Haut and among Wabanaki communities.
2) Conduct research and education to develop and deliver resource stewardship training for Wabanaki youth and community members about archeology, and develop and deliver training and workshops to NPS staff about stewardship of heritage resources in association with tribal communities.
3) Participate in consultation meetings with the Wabanaki tribal partners about research and education programs about the Wabanaki, in partnerships with the NPS.”

Yes, it’s a convoluted case. There are several such examples ongoing in southern New England right now. Northeastern tribes are operating in a very different historical relationship with the Federal and State governments, given the weight of time.